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Dr. Martine Rothblatt — A Masterclass on Asking Better Questions and Peering Into the Future (#487)

  • Tim Ferriss
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    Identify the corridors of indifference and run like hell down them.

    — Dr. Martine Rothblatt

    Martine Rothblatt (@skybiome) is chairperson and CEO of United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company she started to save the life of one of her daughters. The company offers FDA-approved medicines for pulmonary hypertension and neuroblastoma and is working on manufacturing an unlimited supply of transplantable organs.

    Dr. Rothblatt previously created and led Sirius XM as its chairman and CEO and launched other satellite systems for navigation and international television broadcasting. In the field of aviation, her Sirius XM satellite system enhances safety with real-time digital weather information to pilots in flight nationwide. She also designed the world’s first electric helicopter and piloted it to a Guinness world record for speed, altitude, and flight duration.

    In the legal arena, Dr. Rothblatt led efforts of the transgender community to establish their own health law standards and of the International Bar Association to protect autonomy rights in genetic information via an international treaty. She also published dozens of scholarly articles and papers on the law of outer space, resulting in her election to the International Institute of Space Law, and represented the radio astronomy community’s scientific research interests before the Federal Communications Commission.

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    She has bachelor’s (communications studies, summa cum laude), JD (Order of the Coif) and MBA degrees from UCLA, which in 2018 awarded her its highest recognition, the UCLA Medal, and she holds a PhD in medical ethics from the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Her patented inventions cover aspects of satellite communication, medicinal biochemistry, and cognitive software.

    Dr. Rothblatt’s recent books are on xenotransplantation (Your Life or Mine), gender identity (Transgender to Transhuman), and cyberethics (Virtually Human). She occasionally posts on Instagram at @transbinary and Twitter at @skybiome.

    Please enjoy!

    Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

    Brought to you by FreshBooks cloud-based small business accounting software, Headspace easy-to-use app with guided meditations, and Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement. More on all three below.

    The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

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    #487: Dr. Martine Rothblatt — The Incredible Polymath of Polymaths

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    What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

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    Want to hear another episode with someone who took a lightning bolt to her soul for science? Listen to my conversation with Columbia physics and astronomy professor Janna Levin, in which we discuss youthful indiscretion, omnivorous reading, Möbius strips, philosophy 101, UFOs, and much more.

    #445: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face

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